Julio Arca insists that Sunderland's promotion-chasing players can hold their nerve for the next six weeks and guarantee a summer rich in expectation ahead of a Premiership return.

The Black Cats' playmaker has made no secret of his desire to return to English football's top flight and the Argentinian is revelling in his club's position as Championship table-toppers.

"It's good to go into this break at the top of the league," beamed the supremely confident South American. "There are just five weeks of action left, which is nothing, and then we could be in the Premiership. It's starting to sink in now we are at the top of the league and automatic promotion is there for us. We must make sure we get there."

Sunderland's stealthy climb to the summit reflects the club's steady improvement during 2005 and Ipswich, lying in third, accept it will take a monumental effort to overhaul the Black Cats' five-point advantage at the top of the table.

Arca agrees promotion is now the Stadium of Light club's to lose and he added: "If we win six games then we get promotion. It's easy to say but it's a matter of doing it. This is the first time we've been top with a cushion. Last season it wasn't up to us. We were waiting for West Brom and Norwich to lose games.

"We had to win every game and hope for them to slip up. This time it's Ipswich waiting for us and Wigan to slip up. We all go back to the changing rooms after every game and ask how have Wigan and Ipswich done. I'm sure they do the same but the good thing is that it's in our hands now."

But Arca said Sunderland will not rely on the club's current five-point cushion to carry the Black Cats into the Premiership and extending their advantage at Queen's Park Rangers a week tomorrow remains the priority.

Mick McCarthy's men are determined to be in pole position in the race for automatic promotion before the club's potentially tough trips to Ipswich and Wigan next month.

And Arca added: "We need to try and stretch that lead between us and third place before we play those two matches next month. But in this division you can never predict what's going to happen.

"Who imagined Gillingham drawing with Ipswich and Forest drawing with Wigan last weekend. Both those games were surprises and you can take nothing for granted."

Arca, in direct contrast to team-mate Marcus Stewart, already has his sights fixed on a Championship winner's medal and the midfielder will be devastated if Sunderland do not end the season as top dogs.

"We're all fighting for promotion and for the title," he explained.

"Promotion is the important thing but when you're up there nobody wants to finish second - you want to win the title.

"It shouldn't really matter whether you finish first or second as long as you finish in the top two. But the players want to win the title."